Scenarios – last part
over 1 year ago – Fri, Oct 06, 2023 at 05:03:11 PM

Our work on finalizing the AoD:WWII is nearing its end. The last estimate we gave regarding shipping was that it is going to start in October. That's still possible, however, a November start seems more likely.

As we announced a week ago, this update contains the last 5 Scenarios. So far, we've published 11, which makes a current total of 16. Another Scenario is in the final stages, but we will probably publish a selection of 14 or 15 in the printed Scenario booklet. All the others that have been finished will be available on our website, or featured in one of the expansions.

Among the Scenarios we are publishing now, there are three that consist of multiple (2 to 4) interdependent episodes. There is also one short scenario which, like all the previous from that category, represents a dogfight between unusual types of aircraft.

Flak Barrage

During the Combined Bomber Offensive, several hundred attacks on Berlin were carried out. The British carried out their attacks at night, and the Americans during the day. In these attacks, different numbers of aircraft participated, with various outcomes, and the losses ranging from negligible to high; however, in any case, the biggest risk for all bomber crews almost always was flying through zones covered with a heavy barrage fire from the large caliber anti-aircraft guns.

Setup

Board: 6 bi-fold segments (land).

3 Barrage Sectors, placed as shown in the diagram.

Allied aircraft:

3x B-17 G Flying Fortress, armed with bombs, starting on the board at altitude L6.

3x Lancaster B Mk I, armed with bombs, starting on the board at altitude L5.

4x Spitfire Mk IX, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L7.

4x Tempest FB Mk II, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L8.

4x P-51 D Mustang, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L9.

4x P-47 D Thunderbolt, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L9.

German aircraft:

4x Bf 109 G-6/U4, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L4, pitched up.

4x Fw 190 A-8, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L6.

2x Me 262 Schwalbe, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L3.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Barrage Sectors:

Note: German fighters should be careful if entering Barrage Sectors, as they would risk being shot down themselves.

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Allied bombers must not fly at altitude lower than L5 throughout the game (for optimal fuel consumption).

British fighters (Spitfires and Tempests) must not enter Barrage Sectors.

Tasks and Win Criteria

Allied bombers have the task to leave the board towards east, by the end of Round 18. British fighters have the task to escort the bombers up to Barrage Sectors, and American fighters protect them afterwards.

Allied player wins if at least 4 bombers, with no more than one Damage Marker, successfully push through to the east, by the end of Round 18.

It is a draw if 3 bombers push through in time. German player wins in all other cases.

Destroying or damaging other aircraft does not affect the outcome of the game.

The Allied player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are bombers on the board, or until Round 18.

Notes

If an add-on set of 'additional aircraft: British Bombers' or 'additional aircraft: American Bombers' is at hand,

12 bombers from the same nation can be used (because there were no combined attacks on Berlin). An additional set of Altitude Stands is recommended, to be able to support a large number of aircraft. In this case, the Allied player wins if at least 9 bombers push through, and it is a draw if 8 succeed.

Warming Up for the Final Fight

In various land, sea, and air battles, technical and numerical superiority of one of the involved parties usually leads to victory. In cases where both sides are approximately equal, in addition to the courage and skill of the participants, resource management can be crucial, especially in a long-term conflict. Sometimes the key to success is to immediately attack the opponent with all your forces, while in some cases it is necessary to limit your actions at first, and wait for that decisive battle that is yet to follow.

During the Battle of Britain in 1940, both sides had approximately equal numbers of fighters of similar quality, with pilot training and motivation at high levels. The winners were the British, whose commanders (Hugh Dowding and Keith Park) carefully engaged their forces at the beginning to save as many fighters as possible for the decisive encounter that was expected at the time, the German invasion of Britain. That invasion never happened, precisely because the Germans failed to achieve air superiority over Britain.

This scenario represents the simplest dogfight, without any other tasks, divided into multiple stages – episodes.

Both players have an equal number of aircraft, 17 British vs 17 German fighters, and the key is that the players themselves decide how many and which aircraft types will participate in which episode.

Setup

All three episodes are played on the basic board, consisting of 3 bi-fold segments (land or sea), with optional Weather Markers of choice.

At the beginning of each episode, all British aircraft are placed along the western edge, and all German aircraft along the eastern edge of the board. Aircraft can be attached to Altitude Stands of any height up to L6, but each aircraft type must be on a different height (for each player separately).

Episode 1:

Both players first decide and write down the designation numbers of the aircraft that will partitipate in the first episode, in such a way that the opponent does not see that list. Each player may choose minimum 4 and maximum 10 aircraft. Player can choose between the aircraft listed below.

British: 4x Spitfire Mk IX, 4x Tempest FB Mk II, 2x Meteor Mk III, 2x Beaufighter Mk VI, 3x Typhoon Mk I B, 2x Spiteful

German: 4x Bf 109 G-6/U4, 4x Fw 190 A-8, 2x Me 262 Schwalbe, 2x Me 410 Hornisse, 3x Fw 190 F-8, 2x Ta 152

Episode 2:

Before the start of the second episode, players again make a list of their aircraft, without letting their opponent see it. Players can choose the same aircraft as in the previous episode, except those that were either damaged or destroyed in the first episode. Each player must choose minimum 4 aircraft, but must leave out at least 2 aircraft that did not participate in episode 1 (to keep them unused until the final episode).

Episode 3:

For the third, decisive episode, all available aircraft can participate, if either:

- did not participate in the first two episodes

- have not received any damage

- received damage in the first episode (with Damage Markers removed, as they were repaired in the meantime)

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

All aircraft start the game on the board and individual aircraft do not have a limit by which they must leave the board, but the overall game duration limit is 25 Rounds for each episode.

Only damaged aircraft may leave the board.

Tasks and Win Criteria

Each player has the task to preserve as many fighters in good condition, to be ready for upcoming battles, and to reduce the number of enemy aircraft.

Two extremely different strategies are:

The first consists of employing a minimum number of fighters in the first two episodes in order to save most of them for the third, decisive battle. In that case, there is a risk that those few fighters in the first two episodes will all be destroyed without inflicting much damage themselves if the opponent engages much stronger forces, so they would enter the third episode weakened.

The second approach would be to deploy the maximum number of aircraft in each episode. In that case, if the numerical advantage in the first two episodes is not used adequately, the opponent might manage to preserve more aircraft for the third episode and then win the entire Scenario.

The winner is determined by counting points:

- Survived undamaged aircraft: 3pts each

- Aircraft damaged in the second episode: 2pts each

- Aircraft damaged in the third episode: 1pt each

Aircraft that were damaged in the second episode will soon be repaired, thus they are more valuable that those that are damaged later, in the third episode, which will take more time to be ready for battle again.

One player plays first in Episode 1 and 3, and the other player plays first in the Episode 2. Each episode lasts as long as there are aircraft of both sides on the board, or until Round 25.

Notes

Since a large number of aircraft participate in this Scenario, it is recommended to use an additional set of Altitude Stands, if available.

Operation 'Crossbow'

During 1943, the Allies received intelligence that the Germans were working on a long range reprisal weapons program (V-1 and V-2). At the end of that year, they launched a large strategic operation 'Crossbow', which consisted of bombing attacks on development centers, production facilities, transport and launch pads of V missiles. This Scenario depicts one such attack in two episodes. In the first episode, echelons of Allied fighter-bombers attack anti-aircraft guns near a V-missile production facility, in order to make possible for heavy bomber to attack it, in the second episode. As the factory is located underground, under thick concrete, the attack is performed by three modified Lancaster bombers, each carrying a huge 'Tallboy' bomb.

Episode 1: Echelons

Setup

Board: 6 bi-fold segments (land).

Task Markers: 1 orange rectangular marker and 6 purple point markers, placed as shown in the diagram.

AA Gun Markers: 8 orange and 3 purple.

One Barrage Sector (placed under all other markers).

Allied aircraft:

2x Beaufighter Mk VI, armed with rockets, starting on the board at altitude L3.

2x Supermarine Spiteful, armed with rockets, starting on the board at altitude L3.

3x Typhoon Mk I B, armed with bombs (2x Power 50), starting on the board at altitude L4.

4x Tempest FB Mk II, armed with bombs (Power 50), starting on the board at altitude L5.

4x Spitfire Mk IX, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L6. One of them has an Ace pilot.

German aircraft:

4x Bf 109 G-6/U4, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L7. Two of them have Ace pilots.

2x Ta 152, starting on the board at altitude L8. One of them has an Ace pilot.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Point Task Markers represent fortified large caliber anti-aircraft guns. AA Gun Markers represent small caliber anti-aircraft guns. Their Durabilities are:

Each Typhoon can drop bombs of Power 50 twice, on two different targets.

The Zone Target can only be destroyed by a large bomb carried by bombers in the second episode of this Scenario, therefore its Durability value is irrelevant for now.

Both orange and purple AA Guns are German, with the following values:

Barrage Sector:

* The number of shots per Round corresponds to the number of Point Targets. For each destroyed Point Target, the number of shots is reduced by one, from the following Round.

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Individual aircraft do not have a limit by which they must leave the board, but the overall game duration limit is 20 Rounds.

All aircraft are permitted to leave the board at any time (as soon as completing their task, or if players consider they have achieved enough advantage already).

Tasks

British aircraft have the primary task to destroy as many large caliber anti-aircraft guns (Point Targets) as possible. A secondary task is to disable as many enemy fighters as possible (destroy or damage).

Destroying large caliber anti-aircraft guns creates more favorable conditions for bombers in the next episode to perform their task.

Aircraft armed with rockets are most suitable for destroying small caliber AA Guns and thus opening a path for other aircraft. Bombs are more suitable for destroying Point Targets, as a single hit is enough per target.

The German fighters have the task to protect their anti-aircraft guns.

All German aircraft that have survived undamaged at the end of the first episode will participate in the second.

Although their task is to prevent British aircraft from destroying ground targets, German fighters should take care not to receive damage, as they will be needed later.

The British player plays first. This episode lasts as long as there are British aircraft on the board, or until Round 20.

Episode 2: Tallboy

Setup

Board with remaining Task Markers and AA Gun Markers (those that are not destroyed) are the same as at the end of Episode 1.

Allied aircraft:

4x P-51 D Mustang, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L8. One of the pilots is an Ace, and one is a Rookie.

4x P-47 D Thunderbolt, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L7. Two of them have a Rookie pilot.

3x Lancaster B Mk I*, armed with a bomb (Power 500), starting on the board at altitude L5.

* modified in order to be able to carry a large bomb – a part of the defensive machine guns and armor had to be removed. Changed characteristics are:

German aircraft:

4x Fw 190 A-8, starting on the board at altitude L6. Two of them have a Rookie pilot.

All aircraft that were not destroyed nor damaged in the first episode, with their ammunition and number of full throttles restored:

Up to 4 Bf 109 G-6/U4, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L4.

Up to 2 Ta 152, starting on the board at altitude L5.

If one of the German aircraft has shot down three enemy aircraft in the previous episode, the pilot will be an Ace in the second episode (even if he was not already).

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Zone Target represents the underground factory. AA Gun Markers represent small caliber anti-aircraft guns. Their Durabilities are:

Point Task Markers represent large caliber anti-aircraft guns, which cannot be destroyed in this episode (there are no aircraft that carry suitable weapons) therefore their Durability is irrelevant.

Both orange and purple AA Guns are German, with the following values:

Barrage Sector:

* The number of shots per Round corresponds to the number of Point Targets on the board (those that survived the previous episode).

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

The bombers must drop bombs from level flight, from altitude L5.

Individual aircraft do not have a limit by which they must leave the board, but the overall game duration limit is 12 Rounds.

Tasks and Win Criteria

The bombers have the task to destroy the factory. American fighters are providing protection for bombers. German fighters must intercept all the bombers before they drop the bombs.

The Allied player wins the Scanario if the Zone Target is destroyed by the end of Round 12 (a single hit by a 'Tallboy' bomb is enough). Otherwise, the German player wins.

The Allied player plays first. This episode lasts as long as there are Allied aircraft on the board, until the target is destroyed or until Round 12.

Clear the Skies

Due to constant attacks by the Allies on airfields and infrastructure of the Luftwaffe in the last phase of the war, the Germans built several hundred improvised and well-camouflaged airfields. They constantly moved their squadrons or smaller groups of planes from one airfield to another, which is why the Allies scouted German territory intensively, to determine which airfields were active. The Germans had perfected camouflage, which made a simple fly-over by a scout plane often ineffective. The best results were achieved by scouts flying at low altitudes, but these actions were high-risk due to the possible effect of hidden AA guns. Aerial photography from high altitudes was safer, in which cases the photos were urgently sent for analysis, because a long wait would give the Germans a chance to move their aircraft in the meantime. If the aero-photo interpreters found that hidden planes were visible in the photographs of an airfield, fighter-bomber aircraft would be sent urgently to attack them.

This complex Scenario is played out in four episodes: Reconnaissance, Attack, Breakthrough and Bombing. Each episode is a separate game, but they are interdependent, and the winner is determined only at the end of the fourth episode.

In the first episode, British reconnaissance aircraft are tasked with taking aerial photographs different locations that are supposed to be hiding a group of camouflaged German fighters.

In the second episode, British fighter-bombers have the task of attacking the airfield where German aircraft are hidden. If the reconnaissance was successful in the previous episode, the location of camouflaged German aircraft is precisely known.

In the third episode, a group of American bombers accompanied by fighters has the task of breaking through to the east. Depending on the success of British attack in the previous episode, the American bombers are intercepted by a small or a large number of German fighters.

In the fourth episode, the American bombers have the task of bombing a very important target in the German background – an aircraft engine factory. Success odds depend on the number of bombers and escort fighters that managed to break through in the previous episode.

This scenario represents the late years of aerial warfare on the Western Front in a nutshell.

Episode 1: Reconnaissance

Setup

Board: 4 bi-fold segments (land), with 5 Terrain Markers (optional).

Task Markers: 3 orange rectangular markers, placed as shown in the diagram.

AA Gun Markers: 8 orange and 4 purple.

British aircraft:

2x Mosquito PR Mk 34, starting on the board at altitude L9.

German aircraft:

2x Ta 152, starting on the board at altitude L6, pitched up. One of them has an Ace pilot.

Before the start of the game, the German player should write down a symbol (circle, triangle or square) of the Task Marker where the camouflaged fighter aircraft are hidden, in such a way that the opponent cannot see it.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Both orange and purple AA Guns are German, with the following values:

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Tasks

The two British reconnaisance aircraft have the task to take photos of the enemy airfields (rectangular Task Markers) and return to their base – leave the board to the west, by the end of Round 16. The airfields must be photographed from altitude L9.

If a reconnaisance aircraft receives a 'green' or 'red' damage, it will not be able to complete its mission ('green' = damaged engine which makes it unable to return to the base in time, 'red' = destroyed camera).

The goal of reconnaisance is to discover in which of the three Zone Targets the camouflaged German fighters are located. For each photographed Zone Targets (if one or both aircraft take a photo and succesfully return in time), the German player must say at the end of the episode whether camouflaged fighters are there or not.

In order to know the location of camouflaged German fighters for sure, it is enough to take photos of two Zone Targets (if the fighters are in neither of the two, then they must be in the third). If only one Zone Target is photographed, with some luck, it can be enough to know the location of camouflaged fighters (if they happen to be right there), or at least the British player will know that they are in one of the other two.

The information about the location of the camouflaged German aircraft is crucial for the second episode of the Scenario.

The German fighters have the task to shoot down enemy aircraft, or prevent them from completing their task in time.

The British player plays first. This episode lasts as long as there are British aircraft on the board, or until Round 16.

Notes

If only 3 bi-fold board segments are available, the board setup can be adjusted accordingly by omitting the left bi-fold, and the time by which British aircraft must return should be Round 12.

If players want, more aircraft can participate in this episode, see Optional Modification on page __.

Episode 2: Attack

Setup

Board, Task Markers and AA Gun Markers are the same as in Episode 1.

British aircraft:

2x Tempest FB Mk II, armed with bombs (Power 50), starting on the board at altitude L6.

2x Tempest FB Mk II, armed with rockets, starting on the board at altitude L6.

3x Typhoon Mk I B, armed with bombs (Power 100), starting on the board at altitude L4.

2x Beaufighter Mk VI, armed with rockets, starting on the board at altitude L3.

4x Spitfire Mk IX, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L8. Two of them are Rookie pilots.

German aircraft:

4x Bf 109 G-6/U4, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L7. Two of them are Ace pilots.

All British aircraft in this episode start the game along the western edge of the board, and all German aircraft along the eastern edge:

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Target Durabilities are:

Both orange and purple AA Guns are German, with the following values:

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Tasks

British aircraft armed with bombs have the task to destroy the airfield with camouflaged German fighters (Zone Target). British aircraft armed with rockets are tasked with attacking the AA Guns and thus make it easier for the bomb-carrying aircraft to perform their task. Spitfires are there to provide fighter support. Any aircraft can also attack the AA Guns by strafing.

If at the end of the first episode the British found out in which zone the planes were hidden, they would concentrate their attack on that zone. If they have not found out which zone it is, then they can choose to either attack all three zones and thus spread the bombs they carry between the zones, or take a risk and attack only one zone, which they assume is hiding German fighters.

The German fighters' priority is to prevent the British from destroying the Zone Target with camouflaged aircraft.

If still hidden, the information written down before the start of Episode 1 is not revealed until the end of this episode. Only hits to the Zone Target hiding camouflaged German fighters matter (any hits to the other two Zone Targets are irrelevant). The total Power value of hits influences how many of the hidden aircraft (up to 6, four Fw 190 A-8 and two Me 262 Schwalbe) will survive to be able to participate in the next episode:

For each Power 50, one aircraft is destroyed (e.g. if total Power value is 200, 4 aircraft are destroyed, and if it is 300 or more, all 6 aircraft are destroyed). If the total Power value is less than 300, it remains to determine which of the 6 aircraft are destroyed. Since the aircraft were well camouflaged, the choice is random (for example, take the 6 aircraft tokens and choose without looking).

The outcome of the second episode largely conditions the setting of the third one. If the British manage to completely or at least partially destroy the airfield with German fighters, they have a much better chance of winning the whole game.

The British player plays first. This episode lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board.

Episode 3: Breakthrough

Setup

Board with remaining AA Gun Markers (those that are not destroyed) are the same as at the end of Episode 2.

In this episode, the Americans take part on the allied side, instead of the British.

American aircraft:

4x P-51 D Mustang, with a fuel tank, starting on the board at altitude L6. Two of them are Rookie pilots.

2x P-38 L Lightning, with a fuel tank, starting on the board at altitude L7.

3x B-25 J Mitchell, armed with bombs (Power 150), starting on the board at altitude L4.

2x F-3A Havoc*, armed with bombs (Power 100), starting on the board at altitude L5.

* acting as bomber version of the aircraft, A-20, with all the same characteristics except it can carry bombs (with no performance penalty with load) and has defensive machine guns:

All American aircraft in this episode start the game along the western edge of the board:

German aircraft:

2x Ta 152, starting on the board at altitude L6, pitched up (the same position as in Episode 1). These are the same aircraft that participated in the first episode (one of them is an Ace).

Depending on the outcome of the previous episode:

Up to 2x Me 262 Schwalbe, starting on the board at altitude LL, pitched up. One of them has an Ace pilot*.

Up to 4x Fw 190 A-8, starting on the board at altitude LL, pitched up. Two of them have an Ace pilot*.

* If some aircraf are destroyed, the remaining aircraft are piloted by Aces. But, pilots cannot use different aircraft type (e.g. if two Me 262 and no Fw 190 survived, only one pilot will be an Ace).

Their tokens are placed on points adjacent to the rectangular Task Marker where they were hidden, for example:

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Both orange and purple AA Guns are German, with the following values:

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Tasks

American aircraft (both bombers and fighters) have the task is to break through the German defense towards east.

Bombers will participate in the fourth episode only if they exit the board through the eastern edge by the end of Round 15, without any damage (all aircraft have orders to return if damaged).

Fighters will participate in the fourth episode only if they exit the board through the eastern edge by the end of Round 18, without any damage and with external fuel tank.

American fighters are expected to engage in combat with German fighters, and they have a choice: to fight with external fuel tank (with reduced performance) or drop the tanks but thus not be able to continue their escort mission (in Episode 4). Perhaps the best choice is that part of the fighters drop their tanks, and others not.

The American player plays first. This episode lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board.

Episode 4: Bombing

This episode takes place a few hundred kilometers away from the location where the three previous episodes took place.

Setup

Board: 4 bi-fold segments (land).

Task Markers: 1 rectangular marker.

AA Gun Markers: 5 orange and 2 purple.

American aircraft:

All bombers that successfully left the board (undamaged) in the previous episode.

All fighters that successfully left the board (undamaged and with external fuel tank) in the previous episode. In this episode they start without external tanks (they dropped them in the meantime), and with the same conditions as they finished the previous episode (amount of ammunition and number of full throttles).

German aircraft:

2x Me 410 Hornisse, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L5.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Target Durabilities are:

Both orange and purple AA Guns are German, with the following values:

The assumption is that all aircraft have enough fuel to fulfill their tasks, but the overall game duration limit is 17 Rounds.

Tasks and Win Criteria

American bombers have the task to destroy the factory. American fighters are providing protection for bombers, and optionally they can attack enemy AA Guns by strafing, to clear a path and thus enable bombers to drop bombs from lower altitude with higher hitting probability.

German fighters must intercept the bombers before they bomb the factory.

Two German fighters can be quite enough to protect the factory, if facing only a few bombers without a fighter escort. On the other hand, if majority of American aircraft managed to break through in the previous episode, their chance to stop the American attack can be hopelessly weak.

The Allied player wins the Scanario if the Zone Target is destroyed by the end of Round 17. Otherwise, the German player wins.

The target can be destroyed by two hits of Power 150, or one 150 and one 100. If the Americans do not have bombers carrying enough total Power value in bombs at the start the fourth episode, the German player has already won the entire game, even before the start of the last episode.

The American player plays first. This episode lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board, until the target is destroyed or until Round 17.

Notes

If only 3 bi-fold board segments are available, the board setup can be adjusted accordingly by omitting the left bi-fold, and the time limit should be Round 14.

Optional Modification

The Allied player may choose to use up to 2 Spitfires for escorting Mosquitos in the first episode (starting anywhere along the western edge of the board, at any altitude level), but then those aircraft will not participate in the second episode. As an answer to this, the German player may use up to 2 Bf 109 fighters in the first episode (starting on the eastern edge, any altitude level), instead of the second episode. In this case, all German aircraft from the first episode will participate in the third episode (starting on the eastern edge, any altitude level), but only those that survive undamaged.

Operation 'Sausage'

After the German occupation, many French people joined the resistance movement, which contributed in various ways to the Allied fight against fascism. One of the notable activities was hiding and protecting valuable works of art from the Germans, who had the intention to steal them. This short scenario describes one such action.

A group of members of the resistance movement has prepared a shipment containing, among other things, important intelligence papers and a painting, hidden in a sausage, that they want to send by plane to Great Britain. During the night, two liaison aircraft come to pick up the package and and land at the agreed point. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the return flight takes place in the morning, so there is a possibility for the German fighters, that happen to be nearby on a training flight, to intercept and shoot them down.

Setup

Board: 6 bi-fold segments (3 land, 1 coast and 2 sea), with 8 Terrain Markers, placed as shown in the diagram.

Weather Markers: 8 clouds covering altitude L3. Area corners mark fog, covering altitude LL–L1, as shown in the diagram.

British aircraft:

2x Lysander Mk III, without any load (the shipment weight is negligible), starting on the board at altitude L1.

2x Meteor Mk III, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L7.

German aircraft:

2x Me 410 Hornisse, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L45. Both of them are Rookie pilots.

Before the start of the game, the British player writes down which of the two Lysanders carries the sausage (with hidden papers and a painting), in such a way that the opponent cannot see it.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

The Meteors must not fly over land (eastern part of the board) at any point during the game (pilots have strict orders not to fly over the French mainland, in the case they get shot down, to prevent the aircraft falling into the hands of German engineers, who would then have an insight into the British jet engine technology).

Tasks and Win Criteria

Lysanders have the task to leave the board in the west direction by the end of Round 16 (if they are late, they will not have enough fuel to reach the English coast). Meteors are tasked with helping Lysandersescape German fighters (they just entered in service and happened to be patrolling over southeast England).

Me-410s have the task to destroy the Lysanders, or prevent them from escaping in time.

If both Lysanders escape in time (Round 16), the British player wins. If only one escapes, the hidden information is revealed, and if the sausage was in it, the British player wins. Otherwise, or if both Lysanders fail to escape, the German player wins.

Two kinds of British aircraft take part in the Scenario: very slow but agile Lysanders in the main role, and very fast jet fighters. On the German side, there are the robust Me-410 heavy fighters, which are somewhere in between in terms of maximum speed.

The slow Lysanders have a difficult task in making their way to the west. Their excellent agility can help them, especially if they fly low between the mountains, and also use clouds and fog as a temporary shelter. Lysanders have both defensive and offensive machine guns, so they can defend themselves and even try to actively fire at the German fighters. If they get a hold of the sea, they can be assisted by Meteors.

Destroying or damaging other aircraft does not affect the outcome of the game.

The British player plays first. The game lasts as long as Lysanders are on the board, or until Round 16.

Small Caliber AA Guns
over 1 year ago – Sat, Sep 30, 2023 at 09:18:44 AM

In the past month, we had some unforeseen circumstances that hindered our work for a week, but in the meantime, everything has been resolved. In order to continue with the practice of publishing at least one update every month, we present you the rulebook text that explains the actions of small caliber AA guns. In a few days, we will publish an update with 5 more scenarios, three of which will consist of several interdependent episodes. After that one, the following will contain the rules text related to the large caliber AA guns.

When writing the rules for this chapter, we made an effort to balance the probability of AA guns destroying aircraft to the probability of aviation destroying the AA guns. We know from history that AA guns improved significantly during the war, so much that they posed a great danger to aircraft. Although in this game the AA guns are acting passively, in the break action (if the enemy aircraft enter their range) the players have an active role; for example, if several enemy aircraft come within range of an AA gun in one turn, the player must choose which one to shoot at with that AA gun. The choice may be to fire at the plane most likely to be shot down, or, on the other hand, at the most dangerous plane (the one carrying bombs or in a favorable position to carry out its mission). In any case, the AA guns add an extra layer of realism to the game. Destroying targets on the ground by aviation is much more demanding when those targets are protected by AA guns.

As we've already said, in the next ten days, you can expect two more updates. In the first one, we will publish 5 more scenarios, which will together with the 11 so far published scenarios make up the Scenario Book (which is more than announced). The second one will show rules for large caliber AA guns, which are mostly written.

New Kickstarter project in collaboration with Spieltrieb: FLYING SAUCERS

On this occasion, we would like to announce another Kickstarter project for one of our games. This time, the campaign will be completely managed by our associates and friends from Germany, from the company Spieltrieb. This update serves only as a short announcement, as one of the following updates will contain more details about this game, which we, the authors, consider to be one of our best.

The game Flying Saucers was created back in 2007 and published as part of the Kosmoteka 3+1 compilation.

In the following years, the game was further refined. The first major improvement happened before our first participation at an international festival, which was the Board Games Festival in Cannes in 2013.

At the festival, the game received a very positive feedback, so we continued working on further improvements and made several smaller series for domestic market, as well as in French and English.

At the time when we were looking for a way to present our games on Kickstarter, we came into contact with Mr. Till Meyer, the founder and owner of the German board game company Spieltrieb. He immediately recognized our potential as authors, and we agreed to begin our cooperation with a game that does not have a war theme, which was Flying Saucers. The game then had a basic level, and another level with additional types of flying saucers. The main goal of the game was the destruction of the opponent's main saucer - the Generator.

After receiving the prototype, Mr. Till spoke highly of the game and asked us to expand the story, to make the game more meaningful. In around two weeks with the inspiration blooming, we made two more extensive levels that change the original outlook of the game in many ways. A prototype of that new version was soon sent to Germany.

A redesigned prototype, divided into basic game + expansion, was shown at the Essen Spiel in 2019, where we were present as guests at the Spieltrieb booth.

We then agreed to launch the Kickstarter campaign in 2020, but the pandemic ruined everyone's plans. Now we can announce with great satisfaction and optimism that the campaign will most likely start in November 2023. In the meantime, a new game page is opened on BGG.

We will publish more details about the game in a dedicated update, when we acquire new information about the details of the campaign itself from our partners. We are very proud of this game and we feel it is on par with our best games released to date (Tank Chess and the Age of Dogfights series). In this case, the campaign, subsequent production and distribution will be managed completely by a German company, so there will be no issues related with us being in a country outside the EU. Also, the rules have already been written   and tested a long time ago, and finalization and translations will be handled by Spieltrieb. We would be extremely grateful if you would follow this project and later support it during the Kickstarter campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nicsteele/flying-saucers-0

Rockets and Torpedoes + more scenarios
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 11:09:27 AM

Since the last update, the chapter 5. Air-to-Surface Attacks has been completed, concluding with the last two titles 5.5. Rocket Launching and 5.6. Torpedo Launching.

During the work on this chapter, we decided to add another rule, Parallel Shifts, under chapter 3. Aircraft Movement. This maneuver can be performed by all aircraft, regardless of size and category.

Scenarios

In this update, we’ll present two more scenarios that are going to be featured in the booklet.

Heavy Water

During WWII, the Allies made great efforts to prevent Germany from building an atomic bomb. One way of doing that was to prevent the production and transport of heavy water from Norway. A significant contribution to this goal was made by bomber aviation, which on several occasions bombed transport and production facilities (such as the Vemork hydroelectric plant), as well as the Norwegian resistance movement, which carried out a series of sabotages.

In this imaginary scenario, the British aircraft are tasked with sinking two transport ships loaded with barrels of heavy water. The ships sail along the Norwegian coast, accompanied by three warships. The British send everything they have available at that moment to attack the ships, but the problem is that they come from distant airfields, so they have very little time to complete their mission.

Setup

Board: 4 bi-fold segments (water).

Task Markers: 3 purple ships and 2 orange ships (small and medium). Placed as shown in the diagram.

German aircraft:

4x Fw 190 A-8, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L6, as shown in the diagram.

2x Ta 152, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L9.

British aircraft:

4x Spitfire Mk IX, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L6.

3x Blenheim Mk IV, armed with bombs, starting on the board at altitude L6.

3x Typhoon Mk I B, armed with rockets, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L5.

3x Fairey Swordfish, armed with torpedoes, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L3.

2x Beaufighter Mk VI, armed with bombs, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L4.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

All five ships are German. Orange markers represent cargo ships, and purple ones represent warships. Their Durabilities are:

All warships have anti-aircraft guns, acting all around the ship (see 6.1.2. on page __ in the Rulebook), with the following values:

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Beaufighters must use Skip Bombing technique when attacking the ships.

Tasks and Win Criteria

Four British strike groups have a task to destroy enemy cargo ships. Spitfires provide fighter protection to the strike groups. German fighters have a task to protect the ships.

British player wins if both cargo ships (orange markers) are destroyed.

German player wins if both cargo ships survive.

If only one cargo ship is destroyed, the winner is determined by counting points:

- Destroyed enemy aircraft: 1pt each

- Damaged enemy aircraft: 0.5pts each

- Destroyed enemy warships: large 5pts, medium 4pts, small 3pts.

The British player plays first. The game lasts as long as the British have aircraft on the board, or until Round 24.

Notes

If only 3 bi-fold board segments are available, the board setup can be adjusted accordingly, and the time by which each aircraft group must return should be reduced by 3 Rounds.

Dunkirk

The famous evacuation of British soldiers from France took place at the end of May 1940, so the appropriate aircraft for this scenario would be those from the Battle of Britain expansion. However, the scenario is featured in the base game because of its distinctiveness, so that all the base game owners could enjoy it.

Setup

Board: 4 bi-fold segments (three water and one coast).

Task Markers: 13 orange and 6 purple area corners, 3 orange and 3 purple ships. Area corners are placed in such a way that some of them are pointing towards east and some towards west, as shown in the diagram.

The exact position of Task Markers on the board is not of crucial importance.

British aircraft:

4x Spitfire Mk IX, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L5, as shown in the diagram.

2x Beaufighter Mk VI, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L4.

4x Tempest FB Mk II, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L5.

2x Supermarine Spiteful, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L6.

German aircraft:

3x Ju 87 D-5 Stuka, armed with bombs, starting on the board at altitude L6.

4x Bf 109 G-6/U4, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L6.

3x Ju 188, armed with bombs, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L7.

4x Fw 190 A-8, armed with bombs, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L4.

2x Me 410 Hornisse, armed with bombs, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L4.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

All Task Markers are British vessels. Orange ship markers and area corners represent civilian ships and boats. Purple markers represent warships and military boats. Their Durabilities are:

Note that civilian boats have very low Durability, so they can also be sunk by strafing.

All purple vessels have anti-aircraft guns, acting all around the vessel (6.1.2. on page __ in the Rulebook), with the following values:

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Tasks and Win Criteria

All ships and boats (both military and civilian) are on a mission to evacuate British soldiers. Those facing east (towards the coast) are still empty, while those facing west have soldiers on board.

German aircraft are tasked with sinking as many enemy vessels as possible, which are protected by British fighters.

The winner is determined by counting points.

German player counts the following:

- Destroyed enemy aircraft: 1pt each

- Damaged enemy aircraft: 0.5pts each

- Destroyed boats facing east (empty), both military and civilian: 1pt each

- Destroyed boats facing west (with soldiers), both military and civilian: 2pts each

- Destroyed civilian ships: small (with soldiers) 4pts, medium (with soldiers) 6pts, large (empty) 4pts.

- Destroyed warships: small (empty) 2pts, medium (empty) 3pts, large (with soldiers) 8pts.

British player counts the following:

- Destroyed enemy aircraft: 1pt each

- Damaged enemy aircraft: 0.5pts each

- Saved vessels (partially damaged ones still count): same as above (depending on vessel size and whether it has soldiers on board).

The British player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board, or until Round 30.

Notes

If only 3 bi-fold board segments are available, the Task Markers should be reduced in number and rearranged accordingly, and the time by which each aircraft group must return should be reduced by 3 Rounds.

If Battle of Britain expansion is at hand, the following aircraft can be used:

Spitfire Mk I instead of Spitfire Mk IX

Beaufighter Mk I instead of Beaufighter Mk VI

Hurricane Mk I instead of Tempest FB Mk II

Spitfire Mk II instead of Supermarine Spiteful

Ju 87 B-2 Stuka instead of Ju 87 D-5 Stuka

He 111 instead of Ju 188

Bf 109 E-4 instead of Bf 109 G-6/U4

Bf 109 E-7 instead of Fw 190 A-8

Bf 110 C instead of Me 410 Hornisse

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The scenario booklet will contain a total of 10 different Scenarios (five scenarios were published in the Update #35), and the three remaining ones are in the final stages. Most of them are inspired by a historical battle which features a lot of aircraft. These Scenarios have relatively complex tactical situations, as many groups of aircraft subsequently enter the fight, so players have to plan well ahead in order to defeat the opponent.

Since the base game alone features many types of aircraft, and especially when counting all the expansions, we assume that gamers will want to try different types of aircraft in dogfights in simple encounters (2vs2 or 3vs3 and similar). It is assumed that only fighters (and fighter-bombers) should participate in a pure dogfight, however, there were situations when light scouts, multi-engine bombers, four-engine patrol aircraft, etc. fought each other in WWII. Therefore, the Scenario Book will contain a couple of simple Scenarios with the main emphasis on the dogfight of different categories of non-fighter aircraft. There will most likely be 4 short Scenarios of this kind in the base game, and each of the expansions will also contain a few.

‘Heavyweight Class’ Dogfight

Two German Condors (Fw 200) fly towards the British ships in order to carry out the bombing. The pilots of the British Halifax patrol aircraft that are nearby, see the enemy, and they decide to drop their bombs in order to make themselves less heavy and to start attacking the enemy aircraft. The Condors have enough time to drop their bombs on the ships, and then get into a dogfight with the attackers. Both sides call for help, but at that moment only two Do-24 seaplanes and a Sunderland aircraft patrolling nearby can join the battle. A heavyweight dogfight develops in the cloudy sky above the Atlantic, four against three.

Setup

Board: 3 bi-fold segments (water).

Task Markers: 2 orange ships (small and medium), placed as shown in the diagram.

Weather Markers: 8 clouds covering altitude L3–L4, placed as shown in the diagram.

German aircraft:

2x Fw 200 Condor, with bombs, starting on the board at altitude L4, as shown in the diagram.

2x Do 24, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L5.

British aircraft:

2x Halifax GR Mk V, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L5.

1x Sunderland Mk III, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L5.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

German aircraft must leave the board through the eastern half of the southern board edge (marked black in the diagram). British aircraft must leave the board through the eastern half of the northern board edge (marked blue in the diagram).

Aircraft must not leave the board earlier than Round 16, except if damaged.

All aircraft are permitted to actively attack other aircraft, even without using rule 4.7. Speed Difference When Firing (page __ in the Rulebook), as all aircraft in this Scenario are equally slow.

Tasks and Win Criteria

All aircraft have a task to attack enemy aircraft. Before engaging in dogfight, both German Fw 200 Condor must first drop their bombs on any of the two ships.

The winner is determined by counting points.

- Destroyed enemy aircraft: 2pts each

- Damaged caused to enemy aircraft: 0.5pts per Damage Marker

- Bombing: 2pts per hit (ship Durability is not specified because it does not matter)

The German player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board, or until Round 26.

‘Featherweight Class’ Dogfight

This dogfight could be taking place somewhere in the skies over France in May 1940. In the early evening, two British Fairey Battle bombers return from a bombing mission with no bombs left, and encounter two German Fw 189 aircraft returning to their base after completing their scouting mission. Both British and German pilots, all eager for the glory of fighter pilots, engage in dogfight. Two more pilots who were on observation missions nearby join the battle, in aircraft of similar category: British Lysander and German BV 141. A 3-on-3 fight develops, where pilots from both sides hope for victory, medals, and glory.

Setup

Board: 3 bi-fold segments (land), with 6 Terrain Markers, placed as shown in the diagram.

Weather Markers: 4 clouds covering altitude L2–L4.

British aircraft:

2x Fairey Battle, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L4, as shown in the diagram.

1x Lysander Mk III, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L4.

German aircraft:

2x Fw 189 Uhu, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L3.

1x BV 141, without any load, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L5.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Aircraft may only leave the board if they are either damaged or have run out of ammunition.

All aircraft are permitted to actively attack other aircraft, even without using rule 4.7. Speed Difference When Firing (page __ in the Rulebook), as all aircraft in this Scenario are equally slow.

Tasks and Win Criteria

The winner is determined by counting points.

- Destroyed enemy aircraft: 1pt each

- Damaged enemy aircraft: 0.5pts each

The British player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board, or until Round 20.

Fat vs Skinny

Two B-17 bombers got separated from the rest of the group during the bombing of targets in Germany and are independently returning to their base in Great Britain. They were not attacked by fighters, so they’re undamaged, and they carry all the ammunition for the defensive machine guns they’re equipped with. During the flight, they notice far below them a German liaison aircraft, Fi 156 Storch, preparing to land on a clearing in a forest. Eager to make themselves heroes by shooting down an enemy plane that might have a high-ranking officer on board, both pilots of the Flying Fortresses head towards the enemy.

The German pilot abandons the idea of landing, realizing that his grounded plane would be easily destroyed by low-flying bomber machine-gun fire. That is why he continues the flight, twisting and turning at a low altitude in order to make the bombers give up due to lack of fuel, after which he would land undisturbed.

Setup

Board: 3 bi-fold segments (land), with 10 Terrain Markers, placed as shown in the diagram.

Task Markers: 6 area corners, as shown in the diagram.

German aircraft:

1x Fi 156 Storch, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L1.

American aircraft:

2x B-17 G Flying Fortress, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L5.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

Aircraft are permitted to actively attack other aircraft, even without using rule 4.7. Speed Difference When Firing (page __ in the Rulebook), as all aircraft in this Scenario are slow.

Tasks and Win Criteria

American Flying Fortresses have the task to destroy the German Storch, which only has a task to survive.

The German player wins if the Storch flies over the marked area at altitude LL, from Round 28 to 30 (which means it will land safely). If it gets shot down or fails to reach the marked area in time, the American player wins.

Any possible damage to the Storch does not affect the winner, as long as it is not destroyed.

The American player plays first. The game lasts until the German aircraft is either shot down or it lands successfuly (the latest until Round 30).

Two extremely different categories of aircraft, the heavy four-engine bombers and the ultra-light liaison aircraft, are fighting in the air. It is clear that the German aircraft with its single machine gun cannot damage the bombers. On the other hand, a low-mobility bomber can hardly get into a firing position, because it’s assumed that a light aircraft will skillfully use its agility and the ability to hide behind hills. However, two bombers attacking from two sides might be able to catch the German plane in the pincer maneuver and shoot it down.

Catch the Field Marshal

Three B-25 bombers return to their base after performing the bombing. None of them are damaged and they all have plenty of machine gun ammo. They are ordered by radio to immediately attack two German Ju 52 transport planes flying to the north-east, under the assumption that one of them has a Field Marshal of the Wehrmacht on board.

Since transport planes are very slow, direct fighter protection would be ineffective (and fighter pilots don't like it either), so two Ta 152 fighters were assigned to fly in the zone at a high-altitude. They have to be ready to intervene if there is an attack on transporter aircraft at any moment. The pilots of fighters spot the American bombers in time, but do not react immediately, believing that the Americans will not attack the transport planes. However, it turns out they were wrong.

Setup

Board: 3 bi-fold segments (land).

German aircraft:

2x Ju 52/3m g3e, starting on the board at altitude L5.

2x Ta 152, starting on Approach Panel at altitude L8.

American aircraft:

3x B-25 J Mitchell, without any load, starting on the board at altitude L6.

Before the start of the game, the German player writes down the transport aircraft designation number (36 or 37) in which the Field Marshal is located and hides this information from the opponent.

Specifics, Requirements and Restrictions

Aircraft presence in the combat zone:

If not using rule 4.7. Speed Difference When Firing (page __ in the Rulebook), the bombers are permitted to actively attack transport aircraft (and vice versa), but only defensively fire at fighters.

Tasks and Win Criteria

German transport aircraft have the task to leave the board towards north-east (through the eastern half of the northern board edge, marked black in the diagram), by the end of Round 18.

American bombers have the task to shoot down the Ju 52/3m carrying Field Marshal or prevent it from leaving the board in time. German fighters must protect the transport aircraft.

If both transport aircraft leave the board in time, the German player wins. If only one of the two succeeds, the hidden information is revealed and the German player wins if Field Marshal is in the aircraft that has escaped.

If none of the transport aircraft escape (either because they are destroyed or they fail to reach the board edge in time), the American player wins. If only one Ju 52/3m is shot down or prevented from escaping, the hidden information is revealed and the American player wins if it is the one carrying Field Marshal.

Destroying or damaging other aircraft does not affect the outcome of the game.

The American player plays first. The game lasts until both German transport aircraft are shot down, or until Round 18.

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It's been more than three years since our Kickstarter project for the game Age of Dogfights: WWI ended.

During the Kickstarter campaign, the project was backed by almost 900 backers, and we collected over $120,000 on Kikstarter and in BackerKit pledge manager.

In the meantime, the game has gained great popularity and some excellent reviews and ratings, and holds an average rating of 8.3 on BoardGameGeek. Many gamers have publicly commented that they consider it to be the best air combat simulation game by various criteria, and the number and variety of aircraft types represented in the base game and expansions is undoubtedly the largest.

Back when the project was still being fulfilled, we announced that in the future, we would be offering two more expansions in collaboration with our trusted backer and WWI aircraft expert Bill Koff. These expansions are: Naval Aircraft and Exceptional Aircraft. Each of the two expansions will contain several dozen aircraft types and around a hundred individual aircraft tokens.

The third expansion will be Experimental Aircraft and Prototypes. It contains over 50 types of aircraft that were built only as a prototype or in a small series.

In addition, the campaign will offer two additional aircraft add-ons: The Storks and The Flying Circus. One of the two will be a reward for early pledges (48 hours), and the other for our returning backers from any of our previous campaigns. These add-ons contain 12 aircraft tokens each, of four different aircraft types.

Of course, in addition to new expansions and add-ons, the campaign will also offer a reprint of the base game AoD:WWI and all 5 original expansions. The base game will remain practically the same, except that some minor errors and inaccuracies in the Rulebook will be eliminated and corrected. The same applies to the original expansions, with the exception of the Ottoman Empire aircraft mini expansion that will now come in an optimized smaller box. The prices of the game and all expansions will be at a significant discount compared to the current prices on our website.

Our current priority is to finish the work on the rules for Age of Dogfights: WWII and begin the shipping phase, only then the new campaign will start.

Bill Koff has already done the aircraft selection and their values assigning, while the scenarios are in various stages of development. We believe that the third member of the team of authors will contribute to making the expansions better, which especially applies to scenarios that will be written in a different style than the previous ones. Our coworker Snežana, who is, among other things, in charge of drawing the contours of the aircraft, has already finished the major part of that work.

We hope that this future campaign will also be a successful one. We remind you that AoD:WWI is a simpler game than AoD:WWII, just as biplanes were simpler than their successors.

Bombing
over 1 year ago – Sun, Jul 30, 2023 at 04:00:53 AM

While writing the final rules for dive bombing, we decided to simplify the rules for Steep Dive maneuver, because the procedure was unnecessarily complex for players, while it was insignificantly more realistic. The old rule can be seen in Update #32, and this is the new rule:

Along with the changed rules for Steep Dive, we also present the rules for Vertical Dive:

And the following are the rules for bombing: Level, Dive, Steep Dive, Vertical and Skip Bombing.

Due to the need for Skip Bombing rule, we introduced a new rule in the Aircraft Movement chapter (under 3.3. Changing Altitude) – Ground Effect Hop:

As usual, the text shown in the images above is not proofread yet.

In the next update, we will show rules for the remaining titles under the Air-to-Surface Attacks chapter: Rocket Launching and Torpedo Launching.

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We announced a long time ago that the game AoD:WWI will have its second campaign, in which, in addition to the reprint of the basic game and the five existing expansions, there will be several new expansions that we are preparing in cooperation with our backer Bill Koff. That campaign will only start after we finish all the rules for the AoD:WWII and start shipping the first wave. We will announce more details about this new campaign in the next update.

Scenarios, part 1
over 1 year ago – Sat, Jul 15, 2023 at 10:19:14 AM

In this update we publish the first part of the Scenario book. This is not in the form as it will be printed, but only the text with diagrams. It has yet to undergo some changes (e.g. we plan to improve the clarity of all important information required to set up and play a scenario) and proofreading.

Scenarios

The criteria and guidelines for determining the initial parameters for short and simple games of AoD:WWII (Missions) are given in the Rulebook. These criteria allow players to design their own original Missions and to play games. The Rulebook text shows as many as 10 very diverse Mission examples.

For playing more complex and longer games, players should use Scenarios, either the ones given in this Scenarios Booklet or some created by the players themselves. The rules of this game realistically simulate the real features of aircraft from the WWII, while their number (especially if expansions are also owned) and the variety of aircraft categories (fighters, bombers, transport aircraft, minesweepers, etc.) allow for the creation of a wide variety of scenarios, according to historical facts, or to some very imaginative tactical and operational ideas.

Similar to missions, criteria and guidelines need to be established for creating scenarios:

1) The goal of the game (mission) and appropriate placement of Task Markers (if used)

2) Win criteria

3) Aircraft to be included (or a suitable criteria for choosing aircraft)

4) Starting positions of the aircraft tokens (e.g. east/west) and their starting altitudes (see rule 3.2.3. Service Ceiling on page __)

5) If Weather and Terrain Markers are to be used (pages ­­­__–__), and their placement

6) Whether Small Anti-Aircraft Zones are to be used and their placement

7) Who should take the first Turn (usually the player with a specific mission to achieve)

8) Whether the game should be limited to a specific number of Rounds (tracked by the Main Dial Counter)

For simple missions, 8) is optional, but for more complex battles and for almost all scenarios it is very important to introduce range/radius restrictions for all aircraft types, as this is a reality in air battles. In practice, this means that each player must have information on how long their aircraft can stay in combat, before they have to leave the battlefield. In reality, pilots look at the fuel gauge, and based on that and the distance from their own airport, they estimate for how long they can stay in the battle. In this game, there is a dial counter alongside a piece of information on paper for each group of aircraft regarding how many Rounds they have remaining before they leave the board.

Therefore, each scenario contains a diagram of the board with various markers and the initial positions of the aircraft and a Side Sheet with relevant information, for example:

This information means that Spitfires fly at L6 and must leave the board in the 17th Round at the latest, and Tempests (L7) and (L9) Meteors must leave the board in the 14th Round at the latest. The German Bf 109 (L4 and climbing) and Fw 190 (L8) must leave the board no later than the 15th Round, and the Me 262 (L11 and descending) must leave the board no later than the 12th Round. We emphasize that the player can decide to retreat some aircraft before the indicated Round if they are, for example, damaged or out of ammunition or the tactical situation dictates it.

A scenario can also determine in which direction should the aircraft leave the board, and what happens to aircraft that do not comply with the regulations. Generally, British and American aircraft leave the board in west direction, and the German ones in east direction, but this can be changed or specified in more detail in a Scenario. Regarding the Round in which they should leave the board, the aircraft that remain on the board after what should be their last Round are no longer allowed to participate in the battles, and may only take the shortest route to the edge of the board towards their base. That aircraft can still be shot down, but if it manages to leave the board, it generally counts as half a point for the opponent, as it is assumed that due to a lack of fuel, that it made a forced landing somewhere near its airport, so it is not a 100% loss (full point). But this value can be defined differently in each Scenario.

When writing a Scenario, the number of Rounds available to each group of aircraft is determined based on some tactical assumption: where the battle takes place (English Channel, occupied France, Germany, over Berlin, etc.) and according to the Endurance value found on control panels for each type of aircraft. For example, the Bf 109 has a much smaller radius (28) than the P-47 (56), but if the air battle is taking place over Berlin, the P-47 has already been flying to the battlefield for hours and must save a lot of fuel to return to base, and the Bf 109 has taken off from a nearby air field and in that tactical assumption, it has more time available before it has to leave the board.

--

For creating diverse, realistic and interesting Scenarios, it is important to specify that some groups of aircraft enter the board later (a certain number of Rounds after the start of the game). The set includes Approach Panels that are placed along the edges of the board on which the aircraft tokens that will enter the battle later are placed. These aircraft enter the board to the points on the edge that are in contact with the Approach Panel. In a scenario, there can be several (up to 6) Approach Panels.

For aircraft on the Approach Panels, there are two numbers given on the Side Sheet: the first number determines in which Round that group of aircraft must enter the board, and the second shows the latest Round in which the group should leave the board. For example:

- Me 410 (L7): 6–26

- Ju 87 (L5): 8–23

This means that the Me 410 must enter the board in the 6th Round (at the altitude of L7), and that they should leave in the 26th Round or earlier. The Ju 87 (altitude L5), on the other hand, enters the board in the 8th Round, and should leave by the 23rd Round.

The following diagram shows a sketch of a board set up for a particular Scenario with a Side Sheet. In the initial position for this Scenario, some aircraft are already on the board, and some enter after a certain number of Rounds. The directions in which the aircraft must leave the board are also given.

The following can be observed from the diagram and the Side Sheet:

- Lancaster (British) and Bf 109 (German) aircraft are already on the board, flying at L5 (level pitch) and L3 (pitched up) altitudes; the Lancaster must leave the board by the 20th Round, in the east direction (which means they proceed to their bombing target), and the Bf 109 should leave the board by the 18th Round, also in the east direction (returning to their base).

- The British Spitfires are on the approach panel and fly towards the combat zone at the altitude L7; they enter the board in the 5th Round, and should leave by the 20th Round, in the west direction. The American P-51 is also on the approach panel, it flies at L8, enters the board in the 4th, and leaves by the 25th Round, in the southwest direction (towards the approach panel).

- Two groups of German aircraft are on the same approach panel: Fw 190 and Me 262. They fly at L8 and L10, enter the board in the 3rd (Fw 190) and 8th (Me 262) Round, and leave it in the 16th and 20th Round, in the east direction.

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As will be seen in the Scenarios that follow, these games can be quite complex and long-lasting. The aircraft listed as participating in the Scenarios are from the base game, but there are notes that say which types could be used instead if the expansions are also available. Some scenarios are intended for a board that has more than 3 bi-fold segments, but players that don’t own additional boards can adapt such Scenarios to one standard board by following the instructions that follow the particular diagram.

Circus Sorties

Circus sorties was the name for actions carried out by the RAF over occupied Europe after the Battle of Britain. These were attacks by small groups of bombers with a very strong fighter escort. The bombing of ground targets was not the main goal of such actions, as the intention was to lure German fighters for an aerial battle.

A group of three Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bombers is tasked with bombing the zone marked by the area corners on the opposite side of the board. The bombers are accompanied on the left and right by two pairs of Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX. Their primary task is to engage enemy fighters that are expected to intercept the bombers.

A group of four Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U4 comes from a nearby airfield, and after some time, these are joined by four Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 fighters.

Given that the British fighters were outnumbered, four Hawker Tempest FB Mk IIfighters, that were on patrol over the English Channel, were urgently called for help.

The bombers can choose paths to reach the bombing zone and to return to the west. As already said that in Circus sorties the bombing of ground targets was not the primary goal, but still, all three bombers should fly towards the assigned zone and try to drop their bombs (the bomb chit is then removed from the control panel and placed to a point on the board within the marked zone). The starting positions of the aircraft as well as all the markers are shown on the diagram below.

The British player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board. The winner is the player who collects more points. Each enemy aircraft shot down counts as one point, and each successful bombing also counts as one point.

** Note: The fighters chosen are not entirely appropriate for this scenario, as they were mostly used in the second half of the war in Europe. That's why we suggest replacing these fighters with aircraft from expansions, if you have them at your disposal:

- The Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U4 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 can be replaced by any of the earlier variants of the Bf 109, version E or F that are included in Blitzkrieg, Battle of Britain and Eastern Front expansions.

- British Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX and Hawker Tempest FB Mk II fighters can be replaced with early variants of Spitfire fighters, versions Mk I, Mk II and Mk V, as well as Hurricanes from the Battle of Britain, and African Campaign expansions.

Ramrods

As variations on Circus Sorties, there were Ramrods actions, in which the bombing of assigned targets on the ground was the primary objective, and the main task of the escort fighters was to protect the bombers. In this scenario, the British and the Americans together carried out such an action.

The initial position of the aircraft and the layout of the markers are shown in the diagram. In this scenario, almost all the aircraft are already on the board at the beginning of the game, and only one group of fighters enters the battle later on.

Allied bombers are tasked with dropping bombs on a designated Task Zone. The accuracy criteria is respected (see 5.4. Bombing in the rulebook), so each bomber scores 2 points if it successfully hits the target, while a miss earns 0 points.

The Allied player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board. Each downed plane scores 1 point. The winner is the player who has more points at the end.

Counter-Air Patrol

Counter-air patrols were actions of Allied fighter groups, that maintained constant patrols over German airfields. The goal was to attack the German aircraft immediately after they took off, using their altitude advantage. Also, the same patrols waited for the German aircraft to return to the airport, because then the Germans were usually without ammunition and with very little fuel. The Me-262 fighters were especially vulnerable to such attacks because their jet engines had to be throttled some time before landing so that the landing speed would not be too high.

* This scenario requires a double board (6 bi-fold segments).

The diagram shows the initial position of the aircraft and the layout of the markers.

A patrol consisting of four North American P-51 D Mustang fighters has been flying in the area of a German airfield for a long time. They are expecting German Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe fighters to return after a successful interception of the Flying Fortresses.

To protect their incoming jet fighters, the Germans send four Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 fighters into battle.

Me 262 fighters enter the board from the western side; they are currently at L6 and have fuel for only 7 more Rounds. They must leave the board in the direction to the east and at L1 or L2. They cannot use the full throttle anymore and since they are in the landing phase, they can't fly fast, so they can only use blue dice m1-m4. Both fighters have ammunition left for only one burst each, and one of them has wing damage (making it fly slower).

Since the P-51 fighters are low on fuel, the Republic P-47 D Thunderbolt fighters arrive to continue patrols over the German airfield.

The German player plays first. The game continues as long as there are aircraft on the board.

The main task for the Allies is to shoot down Me 262 fighters, each counting 3 points.

If the Me 262 fighters leave the board by the 6th Round in the given direction and at the given height, the German player gets 3 points for each aircraft. If they leave the board after the seventh Round or at an altitude level higher than L3, no points are earned.

All other downed aircraft count as 1 point each. If an aircraft does not leave the board in time, it counts 0.5 points for the opponent.

The winner is the player who has more points at the end of the game.

Close Support

Age of Dogfights: WWII features aircraft that were used in the second half of the war in Europe. At that time (after the Allied landings in Normandy) there were major land battles, while the Allies always had a significant advantage in air forces. That’s why it’s important to say that this Scenario doesn’t have a historical basis, because in it, the number of aircraft on both sides is equal. A similar scenario, but a lot more detailed, will be part of the Eastern Front Expansion, as on that front many large ground battles took place, in which both sides had strong air support. Here we wanted to give gamers the opportunity to compare two different concepts of close support: the German one is mainly based on dive bombers, and the Allied one is based on fighter-bombers. History connoisseurs already know that fighter-bombers performed better in the war, so the Germans also gradually reduced the participation of Ju 87 dive bombers, and began to mass-produce Fw 190 F and G fighter-bombers.

* This scenario requires a board made out of 4 segments. If you don't have an additional segment (the base game contains only 3), the scenario can be adjusted by moving the markers on the board closer to each other, while all the aircraft should leave the board 3 Rounds earlier than suggested. If you want to play a game on a board with 5 or 6 segments, you can add some more target markers and extend the duration of the game by 3 to 6 Rounds.

The layout of the markers and the initial position of the aircraft is shown in the following diagram:

German ground forces are on the eastern part of the board. The Zone Targets represent artillery positions, with each having Durability value of 600. On the southeastern part of the board, there is a point marker that represents a fortified German command post, with Durability value of 40. Artillery positions and the command post are defended by four Small Anti Aircraft Zones with a Durability of 10 each. Near the middle of the board, there are six German tanks, represented by area corners, with Durability values of 25 from the front and 15 from the back.

The allied land forces are located on the western part of the board, and they also have two artillery positions that require being hit by bombs worth 600 each in order to be destroyed. They are protected by Small Anti Aircraft Zones with a durability of 10. The location of their command post (point marker) is not fortified (Durability 5). The Allies have 9 tanks, with Durability of 15 from the front and 10 from the rear.

Regarding the aircraft, at the beginning of the game, the Germans have four Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 fighters without bombs (although they can strafe targets on the ground) and four Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U4 with bombs that play the role of fighter-bombers. The Allies have four Hawker Tempest FB Mk II (without bombs) and four Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX (with bombs) on the board.

In the immediate vicinity of the battle, both sides have aircraft ready to enter. On the German side, these are: two Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse(with bombs), three Junkers Ju 188(with bombs), three Junkers Ju 87 D-5 Stuka (with bombs), three Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-8 (with bombs), two Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (with bombs) and two Focke-Wulf Ta 152. The Allies have the following aircraft on standby: two Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI (with rockets), three North American B-25 J Mitchell(with bombs), two Fairey Battle (with external and internal bombs), three Hawker Typhoon Mk I B (with rockets) and four Republic P-47 D Thunderbolt (with bombs). At the start of the game, all standby aircraft are on the approach panels (Germans on 2 panels along the eastern edge of the board, and Allies on 2 panels along the western edge of the board). All of them can enter the board in any Round, whenever the player chooses to do so (they are located near the battle area), first by placing them on the points on the edge of the board and then moving from the next Round. It is only important that all aircraft of the same type must enter in the same Round. All of these aircraft (both German and Allied) should leave the board by the 25th Round.

The Allied player plays first. The game lasts as long as there are aircraft on the board, maximum 25 Rounds. The winner is the player who collects more points:

- Completely destroyed Zone Target (hit by bombs and rockets with total Power of at least 600) – 10 points;

- A partially destroyed Zone Target also brings points: the dropped bombs value gets divided by 100 and rounded down (e.g. 460 = 4 points);

- Destroyed command post – 10 points;

- Each destroyed tank – 2 points;

- Each Small Anti Aircraft Zone destroyed – 1 point;

- Each enemy aircraft shot down (by fighters or by AA cannon) – 1 point;

- Each enemy aircraft damaged – 0.5 points;

- An aircraft that does not leave the board in time – 0.5 points for the opponent;

- If a damaged aircraft does not leave the board in time – 1 point for the opponent (it is assumed that the damaged aircraft cannot successfully make a forced landing, so it is considered a complete loss)

A Bridge Too Far

During September 1944, the Allies carried out an ambitious strategic operation in the then-occupied Netherlands, with the intention of advancing more than 100 kilometers in just 2 to 3 days. The key was the capture of bridges on rivers and canals along the direction of the attack, and airborne forces were to play the main role. After ten days of heavy fighting, the Allies suffered a defeat. If by some chance the operation had succeeded, the Allies would have been able to penetrate very easily from the conquered territories into the very heart of Germany, which could have meant the end of the war before the end of 1944.

A complex ground-air operation that lasted ten days cannot be simulated in a single game of Age of Dogfights, but this scenario is inspired by that battle and shows a particular situation that could have been a part of that big operation.

* This scenario requires a double board (6 segments). If you don't have an extra board, the scenario can be adjusted by moving the markers on the field closer to each other, and by reducing the maximum number of Rounds by 6 for all the aircraft.

The layout of the markers and the initial position of the aircraft is shown in the following diagram:

Allied landing troops are located in two zones bordered by purple area corners. American landing troops are located in the smaller zone (the one near the middle of the board) and British landing troops are in the zone near the northern edge of the board. On the edge of the British zone, there is one of the bridges that should be saved from demolition, marked with a point marker. There are German troops in the three zones bordered by orange area corners. As a precaution, the Allies are ordered not to fly over these zones as there may be anti-aricraft cannons.

There are three Avro Lancaster B Mk I bombers in the southwestern part of the board; they are loaded with supplies of food and ammunition to be dropped by parachutes in the zone of British troops. In order for the cargo to be successfully dropped by parachute, the aircraft must fly over at least three points in a straight line above the given zone, at the height of L4. Then the "mission" marker is removed from the Lancaster's control panel and placed on a point within the zone.

In front of the Lancasters, there are two pairs of Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX protecting them.

In the second wave, two Douglas Dakota carry supplies of food and ammunition, but these should be dropped in the zone of American troops. The Dakotas are accompanied by four North American P-51 D Mustang fighters.

German Junkers Ju 188 bombers are coming from the north-east, loaded with bombs, and their task is to demolish the bridge. To destroy the bridge, only one hit to the point marker is enough. The Round of bombers’ entry and the flying altitude are free choice, but they must exit by the 30th Round. Tip: Given that the point of entry of the bombers is near the bridge, the Allies have little time to try to prevent the German bombers from completing the mission. They need to have fighters on patrol at several different altitudes.

The Allied player plays first. The game continues as long as there are aircraft on the board, the latest until the 32nd Round. The winner is the player who collects more points.

- Each successful cargo drop in the given zone gains 2 points to the Allies.

- A hit bridge is worth 10 points for the Germans.

- Each downed plane is worth 1 point.

- Each damaged plane is worth 0.5 points. Each plane that does not leave the board by the last turn is worth 0.5 points for the opponent.